Sailing Ships: Cursed Genius
by 2NiteItBeginz
Summary: Hermione is dared to ask Bill a rather personal question. The answer she gets surprises her. PostHogwarts, BillHermione, part of my Sailing Ships challenge.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Sailing Ships: Cursed Genius

**Author:** 2NiteItBeginz

**Pairing:** Bill/Hermione, Ron/Susan Bones, Harry/Daphne Greengrass

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything you recognize as being from Harry Potter. It all belongs to JK Rowling, the bitch...

**Warnings:** post Hogwarts, no HBP

**Summary:** This is for an idea I got when I was reading Fiction Alley's list of ship titles in the SCUSA thread. I went through them alphabetically, and picked ten to start with. I'm doing at least five out of the ten I picked, and then I'm moving on to another ten. I guess it's like I'm answering my own challenge, but if anyone else wants to do this, I don't mind.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

"That rune's in the wrong place."

Bill Weasley jumped slightly and looked up a bit from the plans for stronger wards at the Burrow as he heard the voice from behind him. He'd been trying to figure out why his runic equation kept coming out wrong for what felt like hours upon hours.

"Which one?" he burst out hurriedly. He'd take any help he could get at this point. Bill didn't even turn around, though he vaguely recognized the voice as being both decidedly female and slightly familiar. He quickly decided it didn't matter; if they could help, he'd let them.

"_**Servo** _should be behind_ **Patrocinor**_.Oh, and unless you want really flimsy wards, instead of a strong shield, you should add both **_Incolumis_ **and** _Custos_** to the beginning of the second line," the voice added absently

Bill quickly went back and fixed the equation. He then swiftly but meticulously went through the equation again.

"It works! Thanks!" Bill looked up at the person who had identified the quandary for him and was only slightly surprised to see Hermione Granger, one of his youngest brother Ron's best friends, who, despite what many people had thought, was only his friend.

Everyone had been certain that at the end of it all, Ron would end up with Hermione and Harry Potter would end up with Ginny. You can imagine their surprise when Ron announced after the war ended that he had been dating Susan Bones since his sixth year. It had caused quite an uproar; not quite as much of an uproar as when Harry publicized that he was formally engaged to Daphne Greengrass, a Slytherin in his year, but quite a nice uproar all the same.

Bill suddenly came back to himself and realized that he had been staring at Hermione as he daydreamed. He noticed the slight pink flush on her cheeks and cursed his redheaded heritage as he felt his own face heat up.

"Anyway," Bill cleared his throat, "Thanks again for your help; I really appreciate it. Damn thing took me nearly four days to get that far. I was about ready to give up and go have myself a good cry," he finished in a lightly joking tone before letting out what was very obviously a fake sob, startling a laugh out of Hermione.

"So it's true then? Every girl needs a good cry once in a while?" Hermione shot back before realizing what she had just said and slapping a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened.

The eldest Weasley son eased her fears with his snort of laughter and low murmur of "Touché," before they fell into a companionable silence.

It was broken by Bill, who asked Hermione a question. Hermione jumped, caught unawares before she flushed again and asked him to repeat it.

"Did you originally come up here for something other than correcting my heinous mistakes?"

"Oh!" Hermione finally remembered and Bill could practically see the light go off in her head, "We were playing 'Truth or Dare' downstairs and Fred... or George... I don't know which, Harry and Ginny are the only ones who can tell them apart... anyways, _he_ dared me to come up here and ask you why you never bring a girlfriend home." Hermione slowly started reddening again as she kept chanting in her mind about how personal of a question it was.

"Truthfully?"

"Well, no, I suppose he didn't actually specify."

"I'll answer honestly anyway. I'm waiting for the right person to come along, I guess. She's got to be smart, definitely, so we can actually talk and have intelligent conversation. She's got to be someone with a good sense of humor, not afraid to do a bit of verbal sparring once in a while," He suddenly winked, "It doesn't exactly hurt if she's got a nice bum."

"Bill!" Hermione said, stuck between amusement and indignation, "Well, good luck with that. I'm willing to bet there aren't that many of those in the world, " she quickly regained her composure, "Thanks a lot for being so nice about it; I know it must have been an awfully personal question." She turned and made her way to the door.

"No problem. Oh, and Hermione?" Bill asked as her hand was on the doorknob.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to go to dinner with me on Friday?"

A slight smile played on Hermione's lips as turned around to face Bill.

"I look forward to it."

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Good? Bad? Let me know in a review! And would someone read Artist's Flame? I'm beginning to get an Inferiority Complex...


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Sailing Ships: Cursed Genius

**Author:** 2NiteItBeginz

**Pairing:** Bill/Hermione, Ron/Susan Bones, Harry/Daphne Greengrass

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything you recognize as being from Harry Potter. It all belongs to JK Rowling, the bitch...

**Warnings:** post Hogwarts, no HBP

**Summary:** This is for an idea I got when I was reading Fiction Alley's list of ship titles in the SCUSA thread. I went through them alphabetically, and picked ten to start with. I'm doing at least five out of the ten I picked, and then I'm moving on to another ten. I guess it's like I'm answering my own challenge, but if anyone else wants to do this, I don't mind.

**Author's Notes: **This chapter is due to overwhelming requests for either a sequel or another chapter. Thanks to: Ehlonna, MalfoyDebauchery, Gueneviere, strega-in-progress, OtherwiseKnownAsOli, brit, PeanutButterOreoCookieGirl, wisperinglilies, Mrs Charlie Weasley-thats me, BlackFairy76, mandy-jg, Crystal Marrie Star, angryteabag, xx-martinikiss, sweetlyevil, alex, and Nemesis. -pant pant- Thanks to all, you guys rock! This story will probably end up being three parts, but no promises on when the third chap'll be out, I've got a major case of writer's block for my HP fics...

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

"So how'd it go?"

Hermione looked up, startled by the sudden voice that came from the bottom of the staircase. She peered down, both amused and exasperated by the faces that looked back up at her. She answered whoever had spoken as she resumed her trip down the stairs.

"Why, whatever do you mean, dear... er... twin?" The bookworm glared at the snickers her statement unleashed. "I asked, he answered. Oh!" she said suddenly, as if this had just occurred to her, "Did you want me to tell you what he said?"

"I think that might've been the reasoning behind the asking of the question, 'Mione." The Boy-Who-Lived-Twice-And-Caused-A-Scandal-By-Falling-In-Love-With-A-Slytherin-Even-Though-The-Public-Should-Have-No-Right-To-Tell-Him-Who-He-Could-Love drawled with a hint of a smirk.

"Oh, well you should've said so." Hermione dismissed, waving a hand in seeming uninterest as she strolled to her seat on the floor.

All of the participants in the game seemed to lean forward slightly, waiting for the story...

"...Well, get bloody on with it then!" Ron finally burst out after it became apparent that his best female friend had no intentions of continuing. "What did he say? Why's he never bring a girl around?" There were quite a few nodding heads from various family members.

"Well, he said, and I quote," she began, ignoring George's (Fred's?) mutters of 'Oh, just say it already' and finishing her statement, "'I'm waiting for the right person to come along, I guess. She's got to be smart, definitely, so we can actually talk and have intelligent conversation. She's got to be someone with a good sense of humor, not afraid to do a bit of verbal sparring once in a while. It doesn't exactly hurt if she's got a nice bum.' End quote."

There were grumbles among the group of things like:

"That's it?"

"How boring..."

"Of course, he'd need a good arse, what a male."

"Damn, Susan, tell us how you really feel."

Before Hermione ended the report with a rushed, "AndthenheaskedmetogotodinnerwithhimonFriday."

"What?"

"He asked you to do -what-?"

"What about a pillow?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

All of the various shouts and questions stopped with a loud squeal as Ginny leaped up to embrace Hermione in a rib crushing hug. IT seemed she and Harry were the only ones who had understood the rapidly reddening witch, as evidenced by the gobsmacked look on the Savior's face

"OhmyGodyoumeanheaskedyouout?"

"Yes!"

"Ooooh, I'm so happy for you!"

The others just watched in confusion.


End file.
